Formby Point old lifeboat house
Formby Point old lifeboat house (81624)
- Easting
- 327017
- Northing
- 406279
The remains of Formby Lifeboat House, originally constructed in the late-18th century and was the first constructed in Britain. The station was closed in 1888 and reopened in January 1892, before finally closing in 1918. It later re-opened as a cafe and was finally demolished in 1965. The exposed remains were surveyed in 1995 and consisted of a slipway, internal walls and two wells were identified (HER record MME703).
In late-2015 only the externally stone-built walls and small area of sloping brick were exposed. Total exposed remains measured 8m by 10m in size.
in June 2016 more of the supposed slipway is exposed.
The site is underwater at tides over 9m in height.
- Period
- Post-Medieval (1540 - 1901)
- Period comments
Originally constructed in the late-18th century, extant remains date to the late-19th/early-20th century. Exact date of construction is uncertain.
Winter storms have exposed a further segment of sand stone built wall, held together with iron brackets at the rear of the building.
- The earliest date of the feature, as a year, if known
- 1777
- The latest date of the feature, as a year, if known
- 1965
- Monument Type - Broad
- Structure
- Monument Type - Narrow
- Monument Description
- Evidence Type - Broad
- Building
- Evidence Type - Narrow
- Evidence Description
- Object Type - Broad
- Object Type - Narrow
- Object Description
- Height OD (m)
- How accessible is the feature?
- Easily accessible - no restrictions, Accessible on foot (no footpath)
- Accessibility comments
Difficult terrain - must cross a sand dune. An alternative to crossing the dune is to walk down to the site along the beach from the end of Victoria Road in Formby, which is reached from Freshfield station. The beach walk is easy at low tide and takes around 30 minutes.
Other records:
- NRHE Number
- Unknown
- NT HBSMR Number
- Unknown
- HER Event Number
- MME703
- External Link
- None
Over to you...
If you know there are errors in the original feature record above, you can edit the original record
If you would like to visit the feature and carry out a 'Feature Update Survey', you can prepare a 'Feature Update Survey' pack for this feature (in PDF format)
If you have completed a 'Feature Update Survey' for this feature, you can submit your 'Feature Update Survey'
If you want to use your smart phone to carry out the 'Feature Update Survey', you can download the CITiZAN smart app.
Feature Update Surveys
6 surveys accepted and 0 pending.
Click on a survey to expand it.
- Date of survey
- 6th January, 2016
- Feature located?
- Yes
- State of the tide
- Mid
- Proximity to coast edge
- Coast edge
- Coastal processes
- Active sea erosion, Accreting
- Is there a coastal defence?
- Other threats?
- If other, please specify
- How visible are the remains? ABOVE GROUND
- How visible are the remains in the face of the cliff, ridge or dune? IN SECTION
- Do you know if the feature is?
- Has local associations/history
- What actions (if any) would you recommend for this feature?
- Do you have any other comments?
- Date of survey
- 5th February, 2016
- Feature located?
- Yes
- State of the tide
- Mid
- Proximity to coast edge
- Coast edge
- Coastal processes
- Active sea erosion, Accreting
- Is there a coastal defence?
- Other threats?
- If other, please specify
- How visible are the remains? ABOVE GROUND
- Limited visibility (partial remains)
- How visible are the remains in the face of the cliff, ridge or dune? IN SECTION
- Do you know if the feature is?
- Is well known, Is well visited, Has local associations/history
- What actions (if any) would you recommend for this feature?
- Do you have any other comments?
- Date of survey
- 9th May, 2016
- Feature located?
- Yes
- State of the tide
- Mid
- Proximity to coast edge
- Less than 10m inland
- Coastal processes
- Active sea erosion, Accreting
- Is there a coastal defence?
- No
- Other threats?
- Visitor erosion, Structural damage/decay, Other
- If other, please specify
- Blue plastic melted onto corner of structure
- How visible are the remains? ABOVE GROUND
- Limited visibility (partial remains)
- How visible are the remains in the face of the cliff, ridge or dune? IN SECTION
- Do you know if the feature is?
- Is well known, Is well visited, Has local associations/history
- What actions (if any) would you recommend for this feature?
Regular monitoring and recording.
- Do you have any other comments?
There used to be a visitor information board, this could be re-erected to educate people about the importance of the site.
- Date of survey
- 25th June, 2016
- Feature located?
- Yes
- State of the tide
- Low
- Proximity to coast edge
- Intertidal zone
- Coastal processes
- Active sea erosion, Active wind erosion (in dunes only), Accreting
- Is there a coastal defence?
- Other threats?
- Vegetation growth, Animal burrows, Vehicle damage, Visitor erosion
- If other, please specify
- How visible are the remains? ABOVE GROUND
- Limited visibility (partial remains)
- How visible are the remains in the face of the cliff, ridge or dune? IN SECTION
- Not applicable
- Do you know if the feature is?
- Is well known, Is well visited, Has local associations/history
- What actions (if any) would you recommend for this feature?
Continued CITIZAN surveying.
- Do you have any other comments?
- Date of survey
- 28th August, 2016
- Feature located?
- Yes
- State of the tide
- Low
- Proximity to coast edge
- Intertidal zone
- Coastal processes
- Active sea erosion, Active wind erosion (in dunes only), Accreting
- Is there a coastal defence?
- Other threats?
- If other, please specify
- How visible are the remains? ABOVE GROUND
- Highly visible (substantial remains)
- How visible are the remains in the face of the cliff, ridge or dune? IN SECTION
- Not applicable
- Do you know if the feature is?
- Has local associations/history
- What actions (if any) would you recommend for this feature?
- Do you have any other comments?
- Date of survey
- 9th December, 2016
- Feature located?
- Yes
- State of the tide
- Low
- Proximity to coast edge
- Intertidal zone
- Coastal processes
- Accreting
- Is there a coastal defence?
- Other threats?
- Other
- If other, please specify
- Police on quad-bikes on shore might cause damage.
- How visible are the remains? ABOVE GROUND
- Limited visibility (partial remains)
- How visible are the remains in the face of the cliff, ridge or dune? IN SECTION
- Not applicable
- Do you know if the feature is?
- Is well known
- What actions (if any) would you recommend for this feature?
- Do you have any other comments?
Photos
Remains of Formby Lifeboat station by ASherman
Newly re-exposed section of wall by ASherman
Blue plastic melted on to structure by ASherman
The lifeboat station by ASherman
Aerial view of lifeboat station remains by MClement
Slipway and wall by MClement
aerial view of exposed lifeboat remains by MClement
Formby lifeboat station foundations by steph
Formby lifeboat station foundations by steph
Graffiti on sandstone by steph
